Mattress anchor for sleeping car berths



Sept. 27, 1932. J? F. GAIL MATTRESS ANCHOR FOR SLEEPING CAR BERTI-ISFiled Feb. 23,}.929

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES,

PATENT oFFics.

- JOHN F. GAIL, or EVANSTON', ILLrNoIsnssIe-NoR TO SIMMONS COMPANY,-orNEw YORK, N. Y., a oonronarron or DELAWARE MATTRESS ANCHOR FORSLEEPING CAR IBERTI-IS Application filed February 23, 1929. Serial No.341,979.

This invention relates to an improvement in mattresses for sleeping carberths or the like, and has particular reference to a mattress for theupper berths of Pullman sleeping cars.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for supportingthe mattress in a displaced position to facilitate making up of theberth. Other objects are to provide supporting or anchoring means suchas above referred to, which can be readilyapp-lled to the standard upperberths of the said sleeping cars, and to provide such means which willnot impair the comfort of the berth or otherwise interfere adverselywith the usual operations in the manipulation of the said berths.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood byreference to the following specification and accompanying drawingwherein I have illustrated more or less schematically, an upper berth ofa Pullman sleeping car and a mattress anchored to the berth inaccordance with the principles of my invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan of an upper berth when the latter is in open position,the mattress being shown displaced to facilitate making up i of theberth; and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, I have illustrated a standard upper berthas comprising a main support or tray 5 which is pivotally secured in anysuitable manner as shown at 6 to a side wall portion 7 of a sleepingcar.

The support or tray 5 is provided with looking bar portions 8 and 9which extend longitudinally of the berth and are located intermediatethe sides thereof, as clearly shown in the drawing. The locking barparts 8 and 9 are slidably mounted intermediate their ends in bearings10 and 11 which are secured to the tray or support 5 and the said barsmay also be slidably supported in the end walls 12 and 13 of the tray.Control mechanism' indicated at 14 is provided intermediate the bearings10 and 11 for effecting endwise movement of the bars 8 and 9 to lock orun- 6 look the tray when in closed position. The

above described berth structure is illustrative of the standard upperberth construction and is suflicient for the purpose of illustrating thepresent invention. According to the usual custom, mattresses areprovided which fit 'in-t'he support or tray 5, these mattresses beingloose or unattached to the trayso that the mattresses may be displacedby the attendant of the car to facilitate making up of the berth.

The usual procedure in making upv the berth has been for the attendantto stand on a ladder and then to lift "the mattress over the outer edgeof the tray and to support the mattress on the edge of the tray. Toprevent the mattress from falling to the floor, it has been necessaryfor the attendant to hold-the mattress up in any possible manner, thisoften being done by leaning against the mattress to firmly press thesame against the outer edge of the tray or in any other manner wherebythe attendants hands and arms are left free to handle the bedding. Whilesov supporting the mattress, the attendant throws the bedding partlyover the inner edge of the mattress, which at that time is disposited'in a more or less vertical position. When the bedding is positionedtothe satisfaction of the attendant, the mattress is pushed back intoplace in the tray and the outer edge of the bedding tucked between theouter edge of the mattress and the outer portion of the tray. Thisprocedure has been found to be diflicult, awkward, and to require moretime than it is desired to spend in making up the berths.

F or overcoming the above indicated difli culty, I provide a mattress 15substantially of the usual construction which fits-the tray 5. An anchormember 16, preferablyof flexible textile material, such as canvas orother suitable fabric, is secured adjacent one of its edges by means ofstitching or otherwise, as indicated at 17, to the bottom of themattress. I have found it desirable tosecure the anchor 16 to-thebottom'of'the mattress along a line extending longitudinally thereof andlocated intermediate the sides of the mattress, somewhat nearer to theouter edge of the mattress than to the inner edge. 7

The opposite edge of the anchor 16 is provided with flap portions 17a,18, 19 and 20, which are formed by cutting out portions as indicated at21, 22 and 23, so that the flaps will fit between the locking barcontrol mechanism 14 and the adjacent bearings 10 and 11 and between thebearings 10 and 11 and the respectively adjacent end walls 12 and 13 ofthe tray. The flap portions of the anchor are adapted to be loopedaround the locking bars, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and snap fasteners24 of a well known construction are provided for detachably ordisengageably securing the flaps so looped around the said locking bars.

By an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be underderstood that the anchormember 16 is operative to support the mattress in approximately verticalposition on the outer edge or side of the tray 5. As shown in Fig. 2, aportion of the mattress spaced below the line of stitching uniting theanchor to the bottom of the mattress engages the lower corner portion ofthe tray, as indicated at 25 and the anchor 16 prevents the mattressfrom swinging about the corner portion 25 as a fulcrum, and alsoprevents the mattress falling to the floor. The arrangement ispreferably such that the mattress will incline outwardly and upwardlyslightly, as shown in the drawing, so that gravity will tend to swingthe mattress outwardly and will thus prevent the mattress fromaccidentally falling back into the tray. It is not, of course, necessarythat the anchor be efiective to maintain the mattress in the abovedescribed upwardly extending position. In some instances, possibly dueto variations in the dimensions of the anchor member or other parts, themattress may assume an outwardly displaced position more or lesshorizontal or even inclined downwardly. The principal object of theinvention is nevertheless accomplished, since the attendant of the caris relieved of the necessity of holding the mattress while making up theberth.

V vWhen the mattress is supported in over hanging or displaced position,as shown in Fig; 2, the attendant of the car may work with the greatestfacility in making up the berth. The usual bedding may be thrown overthe upper or inner edge of the mattress, as indicated in Fig. 2,, afterwhich the mattress may be swung back into the tray and the outermarginal portions of the bedding tucked into the desired position.

I am aware that changes may be made in the above described mattresssupporting oranchoring structure without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference tothe following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possibleconsistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a sleeping car berth or the like and a mattresstherefor, a flexible anchor member extending between and secured at itsopposite ends respectively to the bottom of said mattress and to a partof said berth, the mattress end of said anchor being secured to thebottom of the mattress at a point located intermediate the sides of themattress but nearer to the outer side thereof than to the inner side,said anchor member being arranged to permit limited displacement of themattress from the berth and to support the mattress in a displacedposition for facilitating making up of the berth.

2. In combination with a sleeping car berth or the like and a mattresstherefor, an anchor member comprising a flexible member of textilematerial extending lengthwise of said mattress and secured adjacent oneedge to the mattress, and detachably secured adjacent its other edge toa part of said berth, the width of said anchor member being such as topermit limited displacement of the mattress and also such that theanchor member is operative to support the mattress in partiallydisplaced position for facilitating making up of the berth.

3. In combination with a sleeping car berth or the like and a mattresstherefor, an anchor member comprising a flexible. member of textilematerial extending lengthwise of said mattress and secured adjacent oneof its edges to the bottom of the mattress intermediate the sides of thelatter, and detachably secured adjacent its opposite edge to a part ofsaid berth located intermediate the sides of the latter, the width ofsaid anchor member being such as to permit limited displacement of themattress and also such that the anchor member is operative to supportthe mattress in partially displaced position for facilitating making upof the berth.

4:. In combination, a sleeping car upper berth or the like comprising amattress support, a locking bar disposed on the inside of said supportand extending longitudinally thereof, a mattress fitting said support,and an anchor member comprising a flexible member of textile materialextending lengthwise of the mattress and united adjacent one of itsedges to the bottom of said mattress along a line. disposed intermediatethe sides of the mattress, the opposite marginal portion of said anchormember being adapted to be looped around said locking bar, and saidportion being provided with disengageable fasteners for maintaining saidpart so looped around said bar, the width of said anchor member beingsuch as to permit limited displacement of the mattress and also suchthat the anchor member is operative to support the mattress in partiallydisplaced position for facilitating making up of the berth.

5. In combination, a sleeping car upper berth or the like comprising amattress support, a locking bar disposed on the inside of said suport,extendinglongitudinallythereof interme iate its sides and slidablymounted on said support by means of spaced bearings secured to thesupport intermediate the ends thereof, and control mechanism disposedinside of said support intermediate said bearing members, a mattressfitting said support, and an anchor for preventing complete displacementof said mattress from said support, said anchor comprising a textilematerial member extending longitudinally of said mattress, unitedadjacent one of its edges to the bottom of the said mattressintermediate the sides of the latter, and provided adjacent its oppositeedge with a plurality of flap portions adapted to be looped around saidlocking bar, said flaps fitting between said control mechanism andbearings andbetween said bearings and the ends of said support, andbeing provided with disengageable means for maintaining said flaps solooped around said bar.

JOHN F. GAIL.

